


A Growing Friendship

by Groot (grootiez)



Series: Growing Up Groot [8]
Category: Groot - Fandom, Guardians of the Galaxy (Cartoon), Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Baby Groot (Marvel), Gen, Halfworld, Original Groot, Papa Rocket
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2019-09-20 00:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17012361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grootiez/pseuds/Groot
Summary: Baby Groot has a Nightmare, one which prompts Rocket to tell him how he and the Original Groot met and formed a friendship under the most unfortunate circumstances.





	1. A Cry in the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madness_on_the_milano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madness_on_the_milano/gifts), [RocketChewy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocketChewy/gifts), [lita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lita/gifts), [janetgenea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/janetgenea/gifts), [MeepMorpRain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeepMorpRain/gifts), [thejollymilano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejollymilano/gifts), [RR4901](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RR4901/gifts), [Woozletania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woozletania/gifts), [Groot_and_Rocket](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Groot_and_Rocket/gifts), [FanRamen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanRamen/gifts), [groot_guardians14](https://archiveofourown.org/users/groot_guardians14/gifts), [minuus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/minuus/gifts), [Sinikettu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinikettu/gifts), [ThatSlyProcyon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatSlyProcyon/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Flight of the Wood God](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13051215) by [EmilliaGryphon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilliaGryphon/pseuds/EmilliaGryphon). 
  * Inspired by [The Only Ones](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14619882) by [madness_on_the_milano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madness_on_the_milano/pseuds/madness_on_the_milano). 
  * Inspired by [Little Tree Sapling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12075999) by [MeepMorpRain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeepMorpRain/pseuds/MeepMorpRain). 
  * Inspired by [The Broken Family](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534568) by [RR4901](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RR4901/pseuds/RR4901). 
  * Inspired by [Sanctuary](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11424693) by [Woozletania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woozletania/pseuds/Woozletania). 
  * Inspired by [Splintered Apart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15005003) by [madness_on_the_milano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madness_on_the_milano/pseuds/madness_on_the_milano). 
  * Inspired by [Gideon's Bible](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10925823) by [EmilliaGryphon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilliaGryphon/pseuds/EmilliaGryphon). 



“Ugh, not again!” The sleepy raccoon, Rocket grumbled as he got up from his bed. “I swear, if he turned on Bob Ross after I told him no TV after bed...”

As he approached his son’s room, Rocket managed to trip over every single toy and step on every piece of Lego that the young Flora Colossus, Groot, carelessly left strewn in the hallway, just like a typical two year old of any other species that was known throughout the galaxy.

“ARGH! FLARK!” Rocket cursed. “How many times do I have to tell him to pick up his toys in the hallway?!?!”

As Rocket got closer to Groot’s nursery, he didn’t hear the mischievous laugh of a toddler that was up past his bedtime and watching TV on the other side. This worried him.

“I swear, if he managed to crawl into the vents again...” Rocket muttered to himself as he opened the door.

When Rocket opened the door, he took a quick surveillance of the room. The grates to the vents weren’t open, the television was off, and there were toys that were also strewn all around the floor, but that was normal, as all of the Guardians tried unsuccessfully to teach Groot to clean his room.

Groot, unexpectedly, was not climbing all over the furniture, or the walls, or for that manner, anywhere in his room. He was sitting up in his crib. As Rocket walked closer to the crib, he could hear muffled sniffles coming from his son. Groot was crying about something.

Rocket lowered one of the side rails to Groot’s crib. “Hey, hey.” He says soothingly to Groot as he sat down next to the baby and placed one of his fingers underneath Groot’s chin to make him look at his father in the eyes. “What’s wrong, buddy?”

“What the hell?” Peter sleepily complained as he rubs his eyes. “Rocket, why did you wake Groot up?”

“I _didn’t_ wake Groot up.” Rocket stressed as he cradled the baby tree in his tiny little raccoon-sized arms. “Groot woke up by himself, not me, _Star-Munch.”_

“What are you guys doing in Groot’s room?” Gamora trudged behind Peter. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“What the hell is up with all the racket?” Nebula moaned as she stood behind her older sister, Gamora.

Just then, Kraglin and Drax walked by, talking loudly to themselves.

“Do you two mind?” Rocket growled at the duo as they stopped dead in their tracks.

“We were just going to the exercise room downstairs to get some training done.” Drax stated as Kraglin nodded.

Peter was getting suspicious about what Drax and Kraglin were up to. “The exercise room is the other way.” He surmised as Drax and Kraglin gulped nervously. “So where were you guys _really_  going?”

Kraglin sighed, unable to hold _any_ secrets, even those about himself. “We went into the kitchen to make some soup.” He muttered. “We cleaned up after ourselves and even made extra.” The soup-addicted Xandarian offered everyone as they all declined. He then turned to Groot. “Twig? How ‘bout you?” Groot buried his tiny face into Rocket’s fur. “What’s wrong with Twig?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.” Rocket snarled as Groot got scared at the tone of his father’s voice and began to cry. “No, no, Groot. It’s okay, I’m not mad at you.” The raccoon soothed the little sapling. “Now can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I am Groot.” Groot squeaked quietly as Rocket shifted him in his arms.

“He had a nightmare.” Rocket translated for the others. He then looked back at the baby. “What was the nightmare about, buddy?”

Groot looked at Rocket, a tear starting to form in the corner of his eye. “I am Groot.” He murmured, only loud enough for Rocket to hear. The adoptive father then moved his ears downwards in response to Groot’s answer.

“What’d he say?” Peter demanded to know as Rocket carried Groot over to the rocking chair in the corner and sat down with the twig in his arms.

”He-.” Rocket began as he started to gently rock Groot back and forth. He then took a gulp before he spoke. “He... Groot had a nightmare about... about Halfworld.”

The mood in the room took a sudden turn as the Guardians left to let Rocket tell Groot about Halfworld and the time that they first met each other.


	2. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groot is en route to Halfworld. He reflects on the past few days and his life.

“INSIDE!” A buff Zorlian commanded a defenseless adult Flora Colossus as he and another guard forced the prisoner on his knees before shoving him inside a very small and cramped cell.

The innocent and confused creature looked around nervously at his new accommodations in fear as the guards slammed the door shut.

The prisoner crawled on his hands and knees over to the door. “I-I am Groot.” He pleaded with the guards as he placed his handcuffed hands on the metal bars of the door.

“Yeah, and I’m Thanos.” The other guard mocked as he hit Groot’s fingers with the baton in his hand as he pushed the remote control to the shock collar around the tree’s neck, making Groot cower to the far corner of the cell.

“Sweet dreams, cupcake. We’ll be at Halfworld in the morning.” The guards said as they close the door to the small cell block that they threw Groot into.

Groot was left alone with his thoughts. As soon as the shock from the zapping he suffered weared off, Groot crawled over to the tiny bulletproof window that looked outside of the prisoner transport spaceship that he was on, he could see his homeworld, Planet X, get smaller and smaller as it left the atmosphere.

The past few days have been devastating to Groot. First, some unknown force decimated his planet, which set forth an unfortunate chain of events. Groot lost his entire family, the town that he grew up and lived in, the people and few friends that he did have, even though that they also couldn’t speak more than “I am Groot”, as all Flora Colossi had very limited speech because of their hardened vocal chords, but the Elders of the Forest, who led the trees, devised a language that could be deciphered by the various creaks, context, and tone of voice that the speaker was talking with. But most of all, the way of life that Groot had previously known was all gone now.

Before the cataclysmic event befell the planet, Groot was arrested by the governing body that ruled his race. He was accused of helping a little Terran girl escape imprisonment and experimentation by the Elders. Groot found that what his leaders were doing to other races was wrong and was successful in freeing the young Terran, but as soon as she was safely teleported away, he was promptly tackled by the Elders, arrested and taken away.

When Groot was put on trial, he tried his best to explain his case, but neither the Elders or the jury believed what he did was right and he was found guilty. The only two outcomes for Groot now, since his crime was considered a Patriarchal Offense, were either life imprisonment in the most secure, isolated prison on Planet X or death by public burning at the stake, followed by another burning of the ashes that remained, and after that, the resulting ashes would swept up and tossed into a bin to be fed to termites, who were then burned so that in the event of some of them escaping the confines of the container, the termites wouldn’t oppose a threat to the viewing public, who very often bring their own children to witness these public executions to instill fear into them should they too partake in such crimes. After the execution was over with, the Priest would take an object that held great importance to the newly-deceased convict and the Priest would then perform the same ritual to that object so that the spirit of the criminal didn’t have any connection to Planet X and their spirit would be doomed to wander the afterlife and would suffer in eternity.

When these invaders came to look for any survivors, Groot was being held in the Death Cell which overlooked the platform that contained the chair that he would be restrained to for his execution. The view of the cell was specifically chosen to instill a sense of fear and dread for the prisoner on their fate. The cell was sparsely furnished, only containing a toilet for the prisoner to relieve themselves, a table and three chairs, a tiny, barred window to look out towards the stage, various security cameras to ensure the condemned didn’t escape, and a tiny bed for the person to sleep on.

Groot ate his Last Meal, which was the traditional mashed Floral Apple. Groot had originally requested that he eat the soil of the forest where he was born, but because he was accused of committing one of the most heinous crimes in the history of Flora Colossi society and sentenced to die, this request was denied to him. As his Last Meal was brought to him, he refused to eat it, resulting in the Prison Warden to visit him in his cell, along with the High Priest to give Groot his Last Rites, and, since he refused to eat the Last Meal that was provided to him, Groot was given a glass of water so that the requirements of the Last Meal was met.

Groot’s early life wasn’t easy, shortly after he was born, his parents abandoned him once they found out that Groot wasn’t like a typical Flora Colossus. Groot was different. The child that they had just given birth to wasn’t as big and strong as other newborn Flora Colossi. When Groot was taken to the local Shaman of the tribe that his parents belonged to, the Shaman told them that Groot had a great destiny to fulfill, but he was also cursed and would bring ruin to his people. This scared them and after leaving the Shaman, Groot’s parents took him home, placed him in a wicker bassinet and carried him down to the river nearby, where they released the bassinet that he was in and let the river carry him away to whoever would find him so that there would be no curse that their tribe would have to suffer from.

As the river carried Groot’s bassinet, little cries could be heard coming from the baby. Hungry, cold, and scared, Groot didn’t know what was going on, or why his birth parents abandoned him. After floating down the river, Groot’s bassinet washed ashore on a lavish harbor. This harbor was attached to the Supreme Elder’s Royal Palace where he and his wife resided.

The Supreme Elder’s wife was out on the beach tending to her garden when she caught eye of Groot’s bassinet. She picked it up and laid her eyes on Groot, wrapped him up in a silken blanket, and took him inside to her husband. Even though Groot wasn’t their birth child, since the Royal Family had a moral obligation to adopt any orphans that showed up on their doorstep, they treated him as such. Considering that most Flora Colossi families cherished their children and would never abandon them, this instance was rare, and possibly unheard of in Flora Colossi history.

Groot, as a result of being taken in by the Royal Family, grew up in the lap of luxury. He had the finest food, the best education being taught to him by the most elite private home school tutors, which were known as Arbor Masters, that his adoptive parents hired for him, and he got to take part in all of the most important and sacred holidays celebrated by his people. He had the best of the best.

This isn’t to say that Groot grew up without getting in trouble. When Groot hit his teenage years, he acted like a typical teenager and got into a lot of trouble. Most of it was minor, but when he did something that truly was heinous, since Groot couldn’t be punished because he was a member of the Royal Family, a whipping boy was brought in and publicly whipped instead of Groot. This was meant to teach him humility, but because of Groot’s upbringing, he was unable to show sympathy towards the person that recieved the punishment that he should’ve gotten.

But once Groot reached adulthood, his attitude changed. He became more sympathetic towards those who were less fortunate than he was and he resented his actions beforehand. However, before Groot became an adult, his father, the Supreme Elder, who was disgusted and embarrassed at Groot’s actions, met with the Lesser Elders and passed a resolution that if a descendant of an Upper Class citizen or a member of the Royal Family commits a crime that interfered with the Ideals of Flora Colossi in bettering their way of life or in the research of other species, the crime would automatically be upgraded to an Patriarchal Offense, that if the accused was found guilty of the crimes that they committed, be sentenced to either life imprisonment or death by burning. Groot went out to the Royal Laboratory and what he saw the scientists doing to one little Terran girl angered him so much that after the researchers went home for the evening, Groot broke into the center, found that little girl, helped her escape and carried her over to the teleporter that would take her back to her homeworld, all while being chased by the guards that were stationed at the center. Groot was successful in helping her get back to where she belonged, but as she left Planet X, he was tackled to the ground and taken into custody to stand trial the very next day.

After Groot stood trial, The Supreme Elder and his wife didn’t feel sympathy for Groot as he looked towards them as the judge handed down his judgment and the jury took less than an hour to decide his fate: Death by Public Burning. As Groot was being led away in handcuffs and shackles, he looked towards the parents that raised him up. As he was being taken away to the prison for his two night stay before his execution, he had this hope that the only parents that he has known would grant him clemency in exchange that he would be exiled to an unknown location to live out the rest of his days in complete and total isolation from the rest of the population of Planet X. This was the common condition should a member of the Royal Family commit such a serious crime that would result in a public execution and a last minute reprieve.

Sadly, Groot’s adoptive parents didn’t approve of their son’s pardon. To them, even though he isn’t related by sap, Groot brought dishonor to their family and their legacy. The preparations for Groot’s execution were made for the next day and he was promptly moved to the Death Cell that viewed the stage where he would be burned alive in his parents’ eyes and in the eyes of the public.

After the guards declared “Lights out”, Groot rolled to his side in bed to look out the tiny barred window in his cell. It was a quiet night out. That only lasted five minutes before a fireball descended from the sky and landed nearby. It was followed by another and another until it was raining fireballs. 

When the showers of fireballs stopped, everything around Groot was in ruins. Groot was still locked up in his cell, the metal impervious to the heat. Flora Colossi were not, however, and Groot was absolutely sure that no one survived the deluge of fire that befell their planet. Groot looked around and from what he saw, there were no survivors. This was a fate worse than a public execution. Rather than being burned alive in public, which would grant Groot a quick, albeit painful death, Groot would be left to die alone, eventually succumbing to starvation, dehydration (because the rainfall of molten fireballs surely dried up the atmosphere as well as any water that was in the ground), and eventually whatever diseases he would end up getting and without the proper medication to combat these illnesses. This would be a prolonged, painful, and eventual death, which is something that no one, condemned criminal or free citizen would want.

Groot then heard voices. The voices got louder and louder. Groot made a squeak so that whoever these people were could notice him and free him. They took notice of Groot and told him that a couple of other Flora Colossi managed to flee just before the fireballs hit and escaped to a nearby planet. These people offered to take Groot there so that he could meet up with his own people. Groot thought that if his adoptive parents were among the group, he could explain why he set the Terran girl free and hopefully they would forgive him and grant him clemency for his actions.

Groot went willingly with the people who found him. He would soon regret it once he boarded their spaceship and they placed a shock collar around his neck and handcuffed him behind his back before they threw him into this cell.

Groot took another look out the window. He was far away from Planet X and closer to an unknown planet. Six jumps until he arrived at this unknown world.


	3. Halfworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groot arrives on Halfworld.

“GET UP!” One guard barked at Groot as he banged his baton on the cell door loudly.

Groot slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was still in the cell that he was unceremoniously thrown into last night. Groot dreamt that he was back on Planet X and all his crimes were forgiven and he was back with his family and people. But this, this was not reality.

“I SAID, _GET UP!”_ The guard repeated as Groot didn’t move an inch. Frustrated, he unlocked the door to Groot’s cell and he and the other guard walk in and begin to beat Groot using their batons before resorting to giving Groot a zap through his shock collar. They then pick Groot up and make him stand on his feet.

“Walk.” The other guard ordered Groot as he shakily took one step forward only to collapse onto the floor and moan.

“Is the prisoner ready to come off of the ship?” A voice that came out of the handheld radio asked.

“Yes, sir.” The first guard answered to the person that was on the other end of the radio. “He is showing resistance, so we’ll need a restraint chair in order to get him off the ship.”

Within minutes, someone came with the aforementioned restraint chair. The guards that took Groot away from his homeworld lifted the weakened Flora Colossus off of the floor and onto the chair and buckled him into it. The chair had an 12-point restraint system that included a four-point chest harness, a two point seat belt, straps to tie his feet down to the footrests, and another set to restrain his arms to the armrests. There was even a strap to hold his head to the headrest and a couple of panels to ensure that Groot couldn’t even turn his head from side to side. The last thing that they did was put a muzzle with a stainless steel mouth guard on Groot’s face that had spikes that curved inwards so that even if Groot moved his mouth just a little bit, the spikes would poke him and it would hurt like hell.

“Alright, they’re ready.” The first guard stated as he undid the brakes to the restraint chair. “Let’s take it in for processing.”

As they brought Groot out onto the cargo elevator, the confused and frightened Flora Colossus got in his first breaths of Halfworlder air and took in the scenery. Halfworld was vastly different from Planet X. Where Planet X had an abundant amount of trees, wildlife, rivers, lakes, and streams, Halfworld was devoid of anything that even resembled life against its barren landscape and tall stark white and gray buildings that were made of stone and had bars on every window and the most hi-tech security cameras and infrared motion and heat detectors that money could buy. Also, where Planet X had a much more pleasing and fresher smell of nature, Halfworld had more of a industrial odor that consisted of smoke and metal.

The only sign of life was a wilted tree that stood in a stone circle in the middle of the courtyard. It hasn’t been watered in quite some time and was on the verge of dying. Was this why Groot was captured and taken prisoner or was his fate going to be much worse in which death would be a much welcomed relief? Only whoever ordered the destruction of the only world Groot has known and the people who took him captive knew the answers.

As the automatic sliding bomb-proof glass doors to the prisoner intake building opened, Groot felt a sudden gust of wind blow on the back of his neck and give him an instant chill. Groot was then wheeled over to the receptionist before the guards who brought him here filled out the required forms.

After the required paperwork was filled out and returned to the receptionist, Groot was taken to the back into one of the awaiting examination rooms. Five minutes later, two additional guards along with a team of researchers entered the room.

The lead scientist sat in front of Groot. “Hi, there.” He greeted Groot suspiciously as Groot struggled against his restraints. “Oh, now that can’t be too comfortable now, can it?” The strange alien asks as he takes the muzzle off on Groot’s face. Groot then flexes his jaw, as not having the muzzle on was a relief to him, but his captors took this as a threat and promptly hit Groot with their batons before giving him a shock through his collar. Groot cries in agony.

After giving Groot a minute to calm down, the same scientist bent down to his level. “Now, if you’re gonna behave, this examination will go by quickly and you’ll have time to sit in your cell and think about your actions and don’t worry, as soon as you get to the experimentation chamber, you’ll regret the attitude you just gave us.”

Another scientist then took out a tablet as the guards who brought Groot in undid the buckles holding him down to the restraint chair. “Now if you’re going to behave, can you get up on the table so that we can start the examination?” He asked as the guards forced Groot to stand up.

As the guards made Groot walk over to the exam table, the Flora Colossus shuffled his feet just before he took a stumble and collapsed onto the tiled floor. After Groot made contact with the ground, he yelped out in pain as a distinct _“SNAP!”_ could be heard. Groot then curled up as he laid on the floor and held his left knee.

The guards forced Groot back up onto his legs as he continued his whimpering.

 _“Stand up!”_ The head guard ordered as the other guards dragged Groot the rest of the way to the exam table and threw him forcefully onto the stainless steel table and used the straps on the table to hold him down.

The lead scientist walked to Groot and stood over him. As he gave an intimidating look towards the frightened prisoner, he grabbed a branding iron that had the numbers “89F01” and painfully seared the numbers into Groot’s bark as the guards held down the prisoner’s leg so that it would be legible.

“I AM GROOOOT!” Groot cried out in pain as he struggled to break free from the straps as the iron was held against his leg in order for the numbers to set in.

“You don’t have a name.” The lead scientist hissed at Groot as he got in the Flora Colossus’ face. “You are just a number now. Names are only reserved for those of us who are far superior than you test subjects and prisoners. Now be a good little prisoner and go rot away in your cell until we need use of you.”

“But, sir, we still need to examine, collect samples, and process it.” One of the lead scientist’s underlings informed him as Groot was taken off of the table and forced to sit back down in the restraint chair.

“It’s late, Zhu’lik.” He shook his head as he helped strap Groot down to the chair. “And ever since we lost our funding, Asen told us that if we had to take overtime, we wouldn’t get paid for the amount that we took. Now do you want to waste time and not get paid or do you want to go home to your wife and kids?” Zhu’lik didn’t speak. “Thought so. Now take this hunk of driftwood down to Maximum.”

Zhu’lik nodded as he and the other guards escorted Groot to his cell by way of freight elevator.

As Groot was brought down to the second-lowest level of the main building in the complex, the smells overwhelmed him. The smells of whatever cleaners, medications, and various bodily fluids stored in test tubes and vials from the other captives were overpowering, as well as the cacophony from the aforementioned prisoners. Groot couldn’t see much as there wasn’t much light. Just enough for the guards to see which way that they were going and the number pads by each cell were illuminated just enough to tell what cell it was and if there was a prisoner already inside of the cell.

Finally, they arrived at the last cell. This cell being the smallest, but the most surveillanced and secured in the entire maximum security wing. One of the guards held open the heavy steel door that had a tiny slat below the small bulletproof plexiglass window that was meant to get a tray of food passed from the food services department to the prisoner. Zhu’lik pushed Groot’s restraint chair into the cell before the other guard closed the door behind him and they undid the straps before they threw Groot out of the restraint chair and onto the cold, hard concrete floor, not even placing him onto the way too small bed in the cell.

Groot meekly whined to get the guards’ attention. “Oh, you will regret seeing us again in the morning.” Zhu’lik warned as Groot tried to crawl over to the bed. “Sweet dreams, Princess.” He sneered as he and the other guard took the restraint chair out of the cell and parked it nearby. Zhu’lik let out a menacing laugh as he closed and locked the door to leave Groot alone for the night.

Groot was too weak to get in the bed. He only had enough strength to grab the pillow that was on the top of the bed and bring it down to the floor so that he could lay his head on it. The frightened Flora Colossus gave one last look around his cramped and dim cell before he closed his eyes for the night.

What Groot didn’t know was that there were two beady eyes looking at him from the view of the heating vent that was above his bed.


End file.
